These photos were taken during an exciting hike at Ricketts Glen State Park (in Northeast PA) last autumn. We hiked the 3+ mile loop which followed a creek down and back up along 17 waterfalls.

Parts of the hike were very steep, and carrying the backpacks and camera tripod over step after rocky step was a bit tiring, but even with food and photo stops, the hike only took a couple hours. We even passed hikers aged from 7 up to 70 — no kidding! I was quite impressed with a group of hikers in their golden years doing the same trail as us.

Since there were so many waterfalls, I kind of lost track of which ones are in the photos, but the most impressive of the falls was the 94 ft tall Ganoga. There is a nice resting area below it with a wading pool. When we do this hike again, we might reverse our direction to put the Ganoga near the end of the hike, so we have it to look forward to.

So here are a handful of the photos I took that day. I set the tripod up and turned my f/stop way up (e.g. f/22) and the ISO setting down (e.g. 100), so the shutter would have to stay open longer to capture the photo (e.g. 1-2 seconds) and get the nice water-flowing effect.

As seen on a sign at the Falls Trailhead:

Warning: This trail has some very steep and difficult sections. Please be sure that you are properly prepared by being in good physical condition and by wearing sturdy hiking footwear. Muddy and slippery conditions can be expected during and after rains. Extensive icy areas frequently occur from early fall to late spring. you are responsible for your safety. Please be careful and prudent while hiking these trails.

For a map of the trails, along with campground information (the park features several lakes, and a swimming/boating area), check out these links at the PA DCNR site: